Harry Potter and the Power of Merlin
by UberCats
Summary: In his seventh year, Harry chances upon a book. A book, no one has ever thought to see. H/HR story, no weasley bashing. Also shipping R/L, G/N.
1. Introduction Sneak Preview

Harry was angry. He, Ron and Hermione refused to talk to each other after their horrible argument between the three of them. Angrily, he stood up from his bed, which released a small 'squeak' as he released his weight from it, and he proceeded to kick at the floorboards in frustration. "_Why don't they understand? It's for their own good!"_He proceeded to grumble at himself, while not holding up on his merciless assault of the floorboards.

Noting the scratched lacquer on the floorboards, he slowly knelt down to look at the scratches caused by his shoe. Smoothing it over with his finger, he heard a _creak_ come from the floor. He quickly stood up and looked around, swiveling his head back and forth. Sighing, he sat down on the floor. The floorboard continued its harsh squeaking with abandon.

"That is IT!" he screamed inside his mind. Deftly taking out his wand, he shouted "REDUCTO!" with all his might. As the red colored hex came out from his wand, he noted out of the corner that an ashen faced Ron came shuffling up the stairwell.

The floorboard exploded in a mess of shattered wood, nails, a yell from Harry, and a strained expression from Ron. Not bothering to even look at him, he stared at the hole in the ground for a good half minute. Finally regaining his senses, he stood up from his seat on his bed. Ron stood, ashen-faced, and swallowed before speaking.

"Listen mate, you probably know why I'm here."

"Yeah."

"It was really wrong of me to try to convince you-"

"Mate, I should be the one apologizing. I was being a berk and we both know it. Apology accepted?"

"Course." Ron grinned, but then looked down at the hole in the floor. Wordlessly, he peered into the dark, circular hole.

"Mate?" he asked.

"Yeah?"

"Take a look, here, help me get this out."

Harry and Ron both knelt down on opposite sides of the hole. Harry immediately saw what Ron was talking about. The small edge of a blue, tattered book stuck out from the burned edges of his rage. Gently, he tugged the book free. It was covered in sawdust. A wordless wave of his wand cleaned the mottled, empty cover of the book. They sat down on the bed, and opened to the first page. In incredibly detailed calligraphy, there were five words scrawled across in large print, followed by several smaller signatures below it.

"The Power of Merlin, by Myrddin Emrys, Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin" Harry read out loud.

"Blimey mate, is this real?" Ron wondered.

Harry turned to the next page, which consisted of a neatly printed Table of Contents.

**Advanced Charms**

**Advanced Hexes and Jinxes**

**Advanced Transfiguration**

**Miscellaneous Spells, and Enchantments**

**Curse Breaking**

**Ward Creation and Breaking**

**Rituals**

**Animagus Transformations**

**Druid Magic**

**Gryffindor**

**Hufflepuff**

**Ravenclaw**

**Slytherin**

**Illegal and Dark Magics**

Harry was intrigued, so he began by flipping to the corresponding page of Gryffindor. When he flipped the page, it was blank, except for a small page number scribbled into the bottom corner. Puzzled, he took out his wand and tapped it on the paper. It started glowing red, and then faded. Words began to write themselves onto the page.

"It's blank?" lamented Ron.

"What are you talking about, I can see the words clearly right on the page?" said Harry.

"Harry, you must be seeing things. Are your glasses strong enough?" Ron look at Harry quizzically.


	2. Chapter 2: Things begin to get funky

A/N Thanks to all the people who favorite and reviewed! It's giving me renewed confidence. Now that I've set down a plot, the real first chapter is here! I will keep chapters around 5,000 words, for a comfortable read. I'd like to thank some of my favorite authors, cloneserpents and Rorschach's blot. Check out their stories. Onwards, dear reader! Note: This chapter is at the end of sixth year.

**Rhodella: **The story is placed at end of sixth year, they just had an argument about harry going on the Horcrux hunt. This chapter takes place right before the ending feast. Sorry about any confusion. Also, your other question is explained in this chapter.

Harry was angry. He, Ron and Hermione refused to talk to each other after their horrible argument between the three of them. Angrily, he stood up from his bed, which released a small 'squeak' as he released his weight from it, and he proceeded to kick at the floorboards in frustration. "_Why don't they understand? It's for their own good!"_He proceeded to grumble at himself, while not holding up on his merciless assault of the floorboards.

Noting the scratched lacquer on the floorboards, he slowly knelt down to look at the scratches caused by his shoe. Smoothing it over with his finger, he heard a _creak_ come from the floor. He quickly stood up and looked around, swiveling his head back and forth. Sighing, he sat down on the floor. The floorboard continued its harsh squeaking with abandon.

"That is IT!" he screamed inside his mind. Deftly taking out his wand, he shouted "REDUCTO!" with all his might. As the red colored hex came out from his wand, he noted out of the corner that an ashen faced Ron came shuffling up the stairwell.

The floorboard exploded in a mess of shattered wood, nails, a yell from Harry, and a strained expression from Ron. Not bothering to even look at him, he stared at the hole in the ground for a good half minute. Finally regaining his senses, he stood up from his seat on his bed. Ron stood, ashen-faced, and swallowed before speaking.

"Listen mate, you probably know why I'm here."

"Yeah."

"It was really wrong of me to try to convince you-"

"Mate, I should be the one apologizing. I was being a berk and we both know it. Apology accepted?"

"Course." Ron grinned, but then looked down at the hole in the floor. Wordlessly, he peered into the dark, circular hole.

"Mate?" he asked.

"Yeah?"

"Take a look, here, help me get this out."

Harry and Ron both knelt down on opposite sides of the hole. Harry immediately saw what Ron was talking about. The small edge of a blue, tattered book stuck out from the burned edges of his rage. Gently, he tugged the book free. It was covered in sawdust. A wordless wave of his wand cleaned the mottled, empty cover of the book. It was a black, worn cover, with a foreign, gold printed handwriting on the top. They sat down on the bed, and opened to the first page. It was a thick sheet of almost papyrus-quality paper, yellowish, thick, and heavy in the hand. The writing is in dark, black, almost perfect handwriting. In incredibly detailed calligraphy, there were four words scrawled across in large print, followed by several smaller signatures below it.

"The Power of Merlin, by Myrddin Emrys, Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin" Harry read out loud.

"Blimey mate, is this real?" Ron stuttered.

Harry turned to the next page, which consisted of a neatly printed Table of Contents.

**Advanced Charms**

**Advanced Hexes and Jinxes**

**Advanced Transfiguration**

**Miscellaneous Spells, and Enchantments**

**Curse Breaking**

**Ward Creation and Breaking**

**Rituals**

**Animagus Transformations**

**Druid Magic**

**Gryffindor**

**Hufflepuff**

**Ravenclaw**

**Slytherin**

**Illegal and Dark Magics**

Harry was intrigued, so he began by flipping to the corresponding page of Gryffindor. When he flipped the page, it was blank, except for a small page number scribbled into the bottom corner. Puzzled, he took out his wand and tapped it on the paper. It started glowing red, and then faded. Words began to write themselves onto the page.

"It's blank?" lamented Ron.

"What are you talking about, I can see the words clearly right on the page?" said Harry.

"Harry, you must be seeing things. Are your glasses strong enough?" Ron looked at Harry quizzically.

Harry glanced at his friend. "I can read it perfectly. Here, the first line."

"The following people may read this book.:

_Myrrdin Emrys_

_ Godric Gryffindor_

_ Albus Dumbledore_

_ Minerva McGonnagall_

_ Harry Potter_

If you wish for anyone else to read this, simply write their name and have them tap their wand on the page."

Harry stared for a second at the blank page, wondering exactly how much magic could accomplish, before deftly grabbing a quill, and signing the names Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. He paused for a second, and looked up. Then, he added the names Luna Lovegood and Ginny Weasley.

During all this, Ron thought Harry was mental, and was ever so convinced after he grabbed his arm and thrust the wand onto the page. A second later, the book glowed softly. Ron let out an audible gasp and noticed the list of names scrawled onto the first page. The whole time, Harry was grinning wildly at Ron. Grabbing the book, he bent down and tried to discern the list of names.

"Holy crap Harry." Were the only words he could stumble out. "You realize this book could help us defeat Moldywart once and for all?"

"We should check out some of the other chapters."Ron decided.

Harry flipped back to the first chapter. "Advanced Charms," he read out loud.

"The most basic charms include the Levitation spell. In here, we will demonstrate several variants. The first variant is the Teleportation Charm. The basic wand movements are the same, and the incantation is as follows." Harry read out loud. "_Winguardius aperire ianuas!_ This spell causes the object to teleport directly to the target location. However, you cannot manipulate the movement of the object, which leads to our next spell.

"The next variant is the Flying Spell. When enchanted, the object of your choosing will follow the commands of your wand. The benefits compared to the levitation spell are that this spell uses much less energy, and someone can easily cast the spell wandlessly. _Wingardium fugere!_ Now, another benefit of this spell is that after casting, you can manipulate the object with your hands. For example, if you cast the charm on a book, you could hold the charm and 'flip' through the book with ease. This effect will not work on wands."

Picking up his wand, he and Ron stood up simultaneously. They each chose an object, and spoke the first spell clearly. Both of the books ended up on the other's head, which caused them to laugh uproariously. Then, they cast the next spell.

"_Wingardium Fugere!"_

Both books floated off their heads, and imagining flipping through the book, they managed to flip through it using hand gestures. They heard a sound coming from the common room. A familiar, soft voice called out to them.

"Harry, Ron? What are you two doing up there?"

Harry grinned, closed the book, and stood up from the bed with a creak. "We had better show this to Hermione."

"Yeah, she would kill us if we knew something she didn't."

The old friends grinned, and slowly walked out of the common room, not noticing the small slip of paper dropped on the floor.

Albus Dumbledore felt like crap. The venered headmaster was floating, floating in eternal blackness. He could not see anything, hear anything, feel anything, or move. Pondering the last moments of his life, he reviewed them slowly. How long this took, no one knew. Finishing with his last thoughts and last muttered words before the green light of the killing curse swept over him, he thought about his decision. Was it right to continue this, after he should have been long gone? Without having time to finish this thought, a deep, booming voice resonated through his head.

"Albus…Dumbledore….." the voice intoned. "You are not done yet. While reviewing the history of your life, we stumbled upon a man named Tom Riddle. He has exceeded his stay in the mortal world, and it would… help us if you 'returned' him to his rightful place. You must not let people know you are alive. Go!"

About 2 seconds later, Albus Dumbledore found himself sitting at his old desk, with all of his old papers and books neatly arranged. He began to write. He barely had time to think before he heard a voice coming from the bottom of his stairs.

After explaining the situation to Hermione, her looks drew from surprised to shocked to appalled until for once, Hermione Granger, Gryffindor Prefect, found herself with her mouth agape, staring at the two obviously insane boys in front of her.

"I don't want to know what you two have been smoking, but I think we should get you two to Madame Pomfrey as soon as possible." Hermione stated grimly.

Harry and Ron glanced at each other, and started laughing uproariously. Not knowing the reason for their laughing, Hermione looked at them crossly and said "What's so funny?" Having finally calmed down, Harry thrust the book at her. She fainted not 20 seconds later.

"She'll be up soon." Harry stated.

True to word, Hermione woke up about two minutes later. Picking up the book, she sat down without a word. Now the other two looked at her. "Hermione?" they chorused.

"Dumbledore…his name is on this list. Along with Professor McGonnagall! Do you think we should go see her?" she asked.

"Probably a good idea, since Dumbledore…" Harry trailed off.

Attempting to break the silence, Ron said "Harry look! Fawkes!" He pointed at the window. A majestic, red and gold bird gracefully flew through the window. He stared at Harry, and tossed his message to him. He promptly left.

"What is this?" Harry asked.

"Well, it must be safe if Fawkes delivered it, right? He wouldn't want to hurt us…"Ron concluded.

Tearing the letter open, he saw slanted, slightly familiar handwriting.

_Harry,_

_ The battle is not over yet. Go to Minerva and tell her that the Iron Headmaster wishes to see her._

_-Wulfric_

**A/N **_Brownie points to whoever guesses who I stole Iron Headmaster from._

Harry glanced at the letter, and firmly enunciated: "Reveal your secrets." The letter did nothing. Shrugging, Harry picked up the letter, which promptly dissolved into ash.

Gasping, he dropped the pile of ash in his hand on the ground. He turned around.

"I'm sane, right?" he asked.

"I think so mate, unless we're all going crazy." Ron replied shakily.

"Well, let's go." Hermione replied curtly, and strode towards the door.

"Wulfric, where have I heard that name before?"Harry mused while striding out of the Gryffindor common room.

Walking up to the gargoyle, they realized that they didn't know the password.

"Damn," Harry murmured. He stuck his head behind the gargoyle's stone wing and yelled "Hello? Anybody up there?" He withdrew his head and waited for a few seconds, before the telltale screeching of the gargoyle moving told him he was to pass. Wordlessly, the three friends walked up the stairs into the Headmistress' Office.

Albus Dumbledore gasped at the voice he heard at the bottom of the stairwell. "Think, man think! I can't let Minerva or Severus see me!" Quickly, he grabbed onto Fawkes just in time to see the three people he wanted to see most stagger up from the stone gargoyle. A flash of fire, and he was gone.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione climbed into the office to see a flash of light and a whirl of paper. Sprinting to the place where they saw the light, all the three saw was ash on the carpet. Sighing, Harry passed by Fawkes' empty cage and over to the portrait of Dumbledore. (A/N I don't know whether you can find Dumbledore in his portrait now that he's alive-ish, but I'm going to assume that he is still there because he was dead for about 20 minutes. Meh.)

Harry hesitantly walked over to Dumbledore's portrait. He was snoozing in his chair, surrounded by gizmos and gadgets whirring around. In the iconic setting of his office, you could faintly see indiscriminate Quidditch players zooming around in the clear blue skies of his window. Glancing out the real window, Harry saw storm clouds looming over the horizon. Grimly, he put his hand toward the portrait when he was interrupted by the tell-tale sound of a door creaking open. Ron, Hermione, and Harry froze.

A/N: I love stopping at cliffhangers. It annoys you, huh?

Albus Dumbledore landed roughly on the steps in front of a large, clanking metal gate. The gate was rusting steel, with chips of black paint, but the wards on it were so strong, you could literally see the power crackling. Holding his wand out, and gripping the old, worn handle firmly, he enunciated "I, Albus Dumbledore, Scion of the Ancient Emrys Line wish for permission to enter this manor." Upon his word, the gates creaked open of their own accord. Smiling, he pocketed his wand and walked toward the house.

I'll update early, since I feel generous. I should be coming out with a longer chapter next time. Sorry if updates take a while.


	3. Chapter 3: Chatting with McGonnagall

A/N Thanks to everyone who reviewed, positive or negative. Extra points to whoever guesses some of the allusions set in this chapter. Quick note: A lot of Dumbledore action. He will be getting less screentime later. It's still an important role. Also, H/Hr will start slowly, because I don't want a fic that like "harry I love you" "mee too" (proceed to go NC-17). Just unrealistic, I find. I might have malicious snape, good snape, or Grey-snape not Dark or Light, just epic. Thanks!

Albus Dumbledore stepped onto the worn cobblestone with a renewed confidence. Gazing up at the gorgeous manor, his eyes scanned the dark windows. The manor was tall and elegant, formed out of pure white marble, enchanted to repel wind, rain, snow, or sleet. The roof was slightly slanted, and had four majestic gargoyles guarding the four corners. From the top, it was a perfectly four sided mansion, one corner pointing in each direction. It was made out of a dark, jade green limestone, a rare and magically gifted rock. It was one of the most sought after materials in the Wizarding world, possessing such properties as shields strong enough to stop quite a few Unforgivables.

The windows were made out of muggle shatterproof glass, and enchanted against fog and mist. All of this culminated in a large, archway of dark mahogany. Sweeping his eyes across the lawn, Albus Dumbledore's eyes rested on twin fountains, one on either side of him. They were encircled by multicolored stones, and impossibly green grass. The gates rose high, and including the metal fence were enchanted with muggle-repelling, ill intent, anti-apparition, portkey, and were blood-coded. Only members of the Emrys clan could activate or even touch them. And even then, only scions could use them.

Dumbledore waved his wand, and the large doors swung open, silently on well-oiled hinges. He quietly walked into the manor, doors clanking shut behind him. The inside of the mansion was well decorated, with rugs of red and gold, swords hung with hints of emeralds and diamonds, banners of purple and bronze, knickknacks of yellow and black. Ignoring all of these, Dumbledore slowly walked up to a fireplace, and picked up a small, plain, metal spinning top. Looking around before continuing, he took the top and spun it on the fireplace. It spun around, and around, until it finally stopped and fell, rolling in a perfect circle. Dumbledore sighed, strode over to the study, and slammed the door shut.

All was silent as Minerva McGonnagall strode into the Headmistresses office. Her eyes met with three unfortunate teenagers. Flicking from one raven haired teenager standing in front of the late Albus Dumbledore's portrait, to the red haired, freckled teenager awkwardly crouched next to various instruments, to a bushy haired brunette, standing next to the personal library of the Headmistress. Her expression remained unchanged. Fearing for the worst, the three teens stood up straight. Harry glanced to Ron. Ron glanced to Hermione. Hermione glanced to Harry. Simultaneously, they yelled "I can explain!" "There's a logical explanation…" "This is all a dre-"Ron trailed off. Harry shot him a _Shut up_look, and Hermione shot him an _I will kill you_ look.

McGonnagall's face changed quickly, from utter annoyance, to curiosity. She calmly walked over to the gold throne, and sat down. She motioned for them to have a seat. "Two matters. One, how did you get in here? The gargoyle shouldn't let anyone in?" Harry puzzled to answer. Hermione came to the rescue: "Professor, someone let us in. The gargoyle slid open after Harry called out." McGonnagall puzzled for a second, and then cast _Homenum Revelio_. Harry, Ron, and Hermione felt a cold shiver run down their backs, while McGonnagall thought further. "_Who let them in? No one else has access to this room. That's something to think about._" "Anyway," McGonnagall stated "What did you want to come in here for?" Harry smiled sheepishly as he produced a worn, black book to her. She gasped audible, and incredulously turned to Harry. "How did you get this? More importantly, how can you read this?" Harry shrugged, and turned to the page where names were written in. She noted that Harry's name was written in a indiscernible script, neat, but different from all the others.

She asked, "So, Harry. You have stumbled upon the Book of Merlin. Was there anything you wanted to ask me?" Ron piped up. "Nothing much Professor, we just kinda started to read, and since you're one of the only living people on the list, we came to ask about your… experiences with the book." Harry and Hermione started to protest, but after computing what he said, sat back down.

Hermione looked sheepish. "That's about right, Professor."

McGonnagall sighed, and opened the book. "This book contains one of the most dangerous things in the world to possess. Information. The secrets of old laid bare, to read. You should feel safe that this book is protected against destruction, and that those are the most powerful wards this world has to offer. The only thing I can offer as advice, is that you do not show this to anyone else that you feel may discern this information. I advise you brush up on your silent spells, and I have a few sections to recommend."

She tapped her wand on the book, and it turned to a section titled _Wandless and Silent spells_. "This section will help you greatly, as you can manipulate magic without a wand, and without speaking, which most people won't expect. You could even catch Dumbledore off guard if they didn't know you could cast both silently and wandlessly. Another section is here." She tapped her wand to the book again. It was titled _Power Levels and Scaling_. She continued. "In here are various spells that can help you decide on the power of one person. Now, it does not really give a definite measure of their power, but it helps you know how much spell power they could in theory put into a spell. For example, this spell here calculates a combination of power and intelligence. I will cast it on Miss Granger."

Silently, she waved her wand, and a small number appeared over Hermione's head. It read 1520, in gently floating white letters. They dissipated after a second. "This can gauge a person's ability, but you cannot gauge simply with numbers. There is one last area."

She tapped her wand on the book one last time. It flipped to a page titled _Occlumency and the powers of the mind_. She said, "If you were to gain access to someone's mind, applied with the earlier concept of power, you can virtually tell what someone will do, how they will do, and it will give you the upper hand in a battle. These are the most helpful sections, apart from spell casting. I have just a little more advice. First off, do not attempt to begin a ritual nor a portal anywhere in this building," she said sternly. "These can go wrong, and wreak havoc. You would not want an immortal, flesh consuming demon that feeds off lust in this world. Feel free to come up to me if you have any questions at all with a spell in this book. Now, I must prepare for the End of year Feast. She sighed sadly. "You may go."

##################

Albus Dumbledore was surrounded by a whirlwind of notes and quills, various spinning objects, silvery liquid floating in the air, and several hovering sheets of parchment. He was making various hand movements while muttering underneath his breath. The object of his desires was a small stick, about 15 inches in length. It was one of the oldest magical objects in existence, and was made of Elder wood. They say it was fashioned by death itself. Currently, however, it was being experimented upon by one of the most brilliant minds ever to exist. It was suspended in mid air, with sparkles dancing around it, changing in color every now and then. The sparkles exploded, and a quill immediately began writing on a piece of parchment. Dumbledore strode around at the self-writing quills, and the moment one parchment was done, it flew into a neatly arranged pile. Dumbledore sighed, feeling all of his one hundred and fifty years catching up. He began to write a short letter, and sealed it with a tap of his wand. Popping a lemon drop into his mouth, he pondered how he would continue.

_He walked into the ancient study, clutching a small golden trophy, a look of satisfaction on his face. "Mother? Mother? Where are you?" He received no answer. Shrugging, he sat down into his room, and opened a book. Minutes passed, until the fluttering of wings alerted him. "I don't have any other reasons to get mail, other than my birthday tomorrow. Humph, might as well see what it is." He walked over to the shockingly black owl, and tickled its beak. He gently pried the large piece of mail from its talons, and opened it. It contained shockingly few words._

_ Turn to the first page._

_ -M_

_He picked up the rest of the package, and saw a heavy, black-covered book. It was well worn. Curious, he turned to the first page. His name was scrawled into a list of names. The names intrigued him, but the most curious thing is that he did not recognize the script at all. Casting a few indiscriminate charms to see if it was safe, he opened the book and began reading. _

Albus had left the book inside his dorm room a year later after he had copied the most important parts of it. It had lain untouched, hidden underneath the floorboards for over one hundred years. Then, it was taken out only once since then, and promptly put back in.

_On the night of October 31, 1981, nearing midnight, passing into November, a tall, cloaked figure tiredly slinked into the common room. He walked to a direct point on the floor. Casting a silent spell at the floor, the area lifted up to reveal a dusty book. He set his glasses on the bed nearest him, and opened to the first page. He wrote two words, before replacing it under the table. Picking up his half-moon glasses, Dumbledore hoped that Harry would discover it on his own, one day._

Harry, Ron, and Hermione trudged back over to the Gryffindor common room. Harry broke the silence. "Now what?" Hermione checked the time. "We still have about half an hour left until the End of Year feast, so we could visit someone, or read from the book more." Her musings were interrupted by the sound of steps.

Seamus Finnegan, Dean Thomas, and Neville Longbottom were walking down the steps. Seamus and Dean half-heartedly waved to the trio, while Neville approached them. "I hope you realize there's a hole near your bed, Harry." He grinned weakly and left.

Harry shrugged, and collapsed onto his favorite couch by the fireside. Hermione plopped down on his side, and opened the venerable book. She turned to one of the pages McGonnagall recommended. "Power Levels and How to Find them" she read. "_Power levels can be detected by performing a Malton charm and applying Druggner's principle." _She paused, and bit her lower lip. She looked like she was doing complex math in her head. Ron was staring into the fire, and Harry couldn't help but stare at Hermione. With her eyes half-crossed, looking up, her mouth looking ver-. "_STOP THAT!_"he screamed mentally. Harry pushed those thoughts from his head. "Ah, ok." Hermione shook her head, as if she understood, and kept reading.

"_The incantation is as follows: Invenire Potentiam! You can cast this charm virtually wandless, as it does not require much power._ _This spell also works otherwise. If you cast it at a piece of parchment, or a book, there are several positive side effects. First of all, the imbued item will be able to transmit the power level (but not the identity) of the person holding it, to the caster. Second, any name written in the book will become Green, or Red. Red indicates the person is dead, Green indicates the person is alive. Their power level will be indicated on the paper, but the farther the caster will be from the person, the more inaccurate the gauging is. The space below has been enchanted with this spell. Note: When fighting groups, remember one thing. Sometimes, the sum of the parts is greater than the whole._"

Hermione finished, and glanced at the space underneath it. There were several names, written all in neat black ink.

_Myrrdin Emrys (red) 41037_

_Godric Gryffindor (red) 9529_

_Salazar Slytherin (red) 9237_

_Helga Hufflepuff (red) 9173_

_Rowena Ravenclaw (red) 9174_

The list continued, but the most baffling names were the two underneath. Written in a completely different handwriting, the names were emblazoned in Orange ink.

_Albus Dumbledore (Orange) 6273_

_Tom Riddle-AKA Lord Voldemort (Orange) 6271_

_Alastor Moody (green) 3196_

_Amelia Bones (green) 3190_

_Bellatrix Lestrange (green) 2975_

_Lucius Malfoy (green) 2963_

_Kingsley Shacklebolt (green) 2109_

Harry and Ron were now both crouched behind Hermione, reading the list. Nearly all the names were written in an impeccable, slightly slanted handwriting. "Dumbledore!" Harry recalled. Hermione and Ron looked at him. "This is Dumbledore's handwriting!"Harry explained. Hermione took out a quill and scrawled three more names on.

_Harry Potter (green) 1584_

_Hermione Granger (green) 1579_

_Ron Weasley (green) 1570_

Ron checked his gold watch, and said "C'mon, it's almost time for the end-of-year-feast."

Hermione rolled her eyes, and said "Ron, do you ever think of anything besides food?"

Ron shot back with a grin "I'll have you know, I think about Quidditch fairly often, thank you very much. Come to think of it, I spend quite a while thinking about how NOT to get caught in one of Fred or George's new pran-AHH!"Ron stumbled back, and suddenly sprouted green colored whiskers under his nose, which quickly turned into a full-grown handlebar mustache. Harry and Hermione burst into laughter, and this sound drew the attention of two girls walking down from their dormitories. Lavender giggled a little, but was still a little miffed at her and Ron breaking it off. Parvati was laughing openly, while attempting to step through the portrait hole, which ended in a hurt head and a chuckling Parvati. Ron looked angry, and looked up. He yelled with conviction "Why hast thou abandoned me!" At this, Harry and Hermione laughed even harder, literally falling to the ground. Ron took the opportunity to cast a finite on the mustache, and rouse his two friends. "Seriously though, it is time for the feast."

The three friends clambered through the portrait hole, and walked down towards the feast.

I know, I know, awkward ending. I wanted to get a chappie up for you guys before rage began.


	4. Chapter 4: Death's Elder Wand

Disclaimer: Owning Harry Potter is JKR's job. Too much publicity.

I'm trying to stay as canon as possible, except for the book, and I'm trying to stay in character. This probably won't stay in character for long.

A/N Sorry this took so long to upload! I've had so much work and essays in school, but here you go!

As students slowly filed into the Great Hall for the opening feast, the usual air of chatting, laughter, and merriment was gone, and ever present were the whisperings, mutterings, and forlorn faces worn in the cloud. All of the staff was dressed in dark, serious colors, and two chairs were notably empty. The large golden throne, usually decorated by an intelligent, brave, headmaster lay cold, abandoned, and empty. The seat to the right of Minerva McGonnagal was however, occupied by a greasy potions master known by the name of Severus Snape. He wore a dark look, glancing up every now and then.

Most of the students were decidedly avoiding the topic of the recent attack in Hogwarts, and careful to not stray on any delicate topics, most were talking about innocent things, such as the house points, or the Quidditch cup results.

McGonnagall tapped her glass. "Attention, attention."

The entire room quieted down instantly. She continued. "This year, has been a year of ups, and downs. For those who are curious, as of now, the headmaster for next year will be Severus Snape."

At this sentence, chaos reigned in the great hall. Protests spanned prominently from the Gryffindor table, yelling and screaming Hufflepuffs, enraged Ravenclaws, even a few miffed Slytherins. McGonnagall cast a Sonorous charm.

"Attention, attention. This year has been hectic, to say the least, and most prominently featured, is the sad death of our beloved headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. Not only was he a great teacher, but a thinker, a creator, a friend, a brother. On a brighter note, I would like to announce the final standings for our house cup. The standings are as follows. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tie, at five hundred and sixteen points each. Next, comes Slytherin, with five hundred and twenty points. And finally, I present the winning house, with six hundred and fifty three points, Gryffindor!"

She quieted down, as a wave of cheering overcame the red and gold clad tables. The opposing three led in polite applause. Clearing her throat, she began again.

"With that, allow us to begin the End of Year festivities!" She waved her wand, and the usual plates upon plates of food occur.

Albus Dumbledore was tired. More tired than his 150 years should have shown. He sealed his letters with a tap of his wand, and also carefully sealed a small stick, glowing, and thin. He placed it under several imperturbable charms, and a stasis charm. Summoning Fawkes, he scratched him under the chin. "Fawkes, you know where you must send these. Thank you." He handed the large letter to Fawkes, who disappeared in a large flash of flame. Sighing, he limped his way over to the sofa, and promptly fell asleep.

Hermione was sitting with Harry and Ron, talking about inconspicuous things, when the topic came to summer. Harry began.

"I've told you already, but you guys know what Dumbledore wanted me to do. He wanted me to find the Horcruxes, and destroy all of them. Now, I was planning to stay over the summer in Grimmauld Place, and go through the library, maybe research some things. You know, you guys are welcome to stay with me."

Hermione asked: "I'm coming, if that's ok with you. I've heard that the Black Library is almost older than Hogwarts itself, and contains just as many books as the Hogwarts Library. Besides, where else could we to find information about Horcruxes than from one of the most expansive libraries in the world?"

Ron was silently flipping through the book. He turned to a page, and examined it closer. "Guys, from what I've heard, these Horcruxes basically contain one seventh of Voldemort's soul, correct? I mean like, having a soul inside a container?"

Harry nodded in confirmation. Ron continued.

"I've found an interesting thing here that might help us." He showed the pages to Harry and Hermione, who grabbed the book and began to read.

"The _Animo ritual_ is designed to eliminate soul fragments. If used on a person, it kills them instantly, but leaves their body unharmed. When used upon an object with a soul sealed inside of it, such as a _Horcrux_, or a _Tenes Animulus_, and after the optimal ritual time, both the object and the soul will be destroyed."

Hermione paused for a second. "Wow, this is a complex ritual. Half of the materials for the portion are dark or illegal, and the other half is almost impossible to find."

Harry sighed. "It might n-"

Hermione interrupted: "And, the ritual takes four hours where we have to chant a phrase, and takes another 8 hours to destroy the entire soul. It was originally designed to destroy possessed objects, and to counter dark magicks, and it's use expanded."

Harry sighed again, harder. "Well, there goes that idea."

At that point, a large, majestic, red and gold tinted bird arrived in a flash of flames. All three of them flinched, and were reaching for their wands when they realized it was Fawkes. Harry stood up and went over to him.

"Hey Fawkes, what's up?"Harry murmured. He noticed the bundle of papers in his talons, and willingly accepted them when they were handed to him. Fawkes gave Harry a deep, longing look, then vanished again, leaving no trace of him ever being here. Grumbling, Harry plopped down into a chair and examined the bunch of papers. The one on top read:

_Harry,_

_ Use these well. I believe Ms. Granger would do well with them. Also, on the day of your 17__th__ birthday, I request that you go into Gringotts to ask about your inheritance._

_ -Wulfric_

Hermione began: "Harry, I don't know if this Wulfric guy is all that safe. He seems to know a lot about us."

Harry shrugged: "I guess it's a little sketchy, but he hasn't tried to hurt us yet. I mean, if he was planning to hurt us, wouldn't he just charm the paper so that it would explode when we touch it?"

Hermione admitted that it was true.

Harry picked up the stack of papers, and rifled through them. Deeming nothing understandable, or of interest, he casually handed the stack of papers to Hermione.

Hermione shuffled the papers, and began to flip through, scanning quickly. Ron leaned over her right shoulder, as Harry looked on from his nearby vantage point.

Hermione's head suddenly shot up, as she began to rifle through the rest of the envelope. She triumphantly pulled out a glowing strand of material.

"What is that?" Both boys gazed at the glowing strand in wonder.

"If these notes are right," Hermione scanned the notes again, "This is a synthetic version of the core of an Elder wand."

Ron began to chuckle. "Hermione, the Elder wand doesn't exist."

Harry looked over. "What are you two talking about?

Ron scrunched up his eyebrows, apparently in thought, and said: "The Elder wand was in a story called The Three Brothers, I think it was something like death's wand."

Now it was Hermione's turn to chuckle. "Ron, Death has a wand as much as he can bring people back to life."

Ron stared at her and exclaimed: "Hermione, you've read it too? Do you remember it?"

Hermione sighed, and said: "I haven't heard the story Ron, and as much as I want to know, I won't ask. I bet we could find a copy in the library."

A few minutes later, they were in the library. It was completely empty, as they only had about an hour left until the train came. Hermione instantly sprang towards a few dusty bookcases, and after a few seconds, she spotted the book.

Plunking down into a large chair, she began to flip through the pages. Harry and Ron walked over, and took the chairs to either side. She began to read.

_"There were once three brothers who were travelling along a lonely, winding road at twilight. In time, the brothers reached a river, too deep to wade through, and too dangerous to swim across. However, these brothers were learned in the magical arts, and so they simply waved their wands, and made a bridge appear across the treacherous water. They were halfway across it, when they found their path blocked by a hooded figure, and Death spoke to them. He was angry that he had been cheated out of three new victims, for travelers usually drowned in the river. But Death was cunning. He pretended to congratulate the three brothers upon their magic, and said that each had earned a prize for being clever enough to evade him._

_"So, the oldest brother, who was a combative man, asked for a wand more powerful than any in existence. A wand that must always win battles for its owner. A wand worthy of a wizard who had conquered Death. So, Death had crossed to an Elder Tree on the banks of the river, fashioned a wand from a branch that had hung there, and gave it to the oldest brother._

_"Then the second brother, who was an arrogant man, decided that he wanted to humiliate Death still further, and asked for the power to recall others from Death. So, Death picked up a stone from the riverbank and gave it to the second brother, and told him that the stone would have the power to bring back the dead._

_"Finally, Death turned to the third brother. A humble man, he asked for something that would enable him to go forth from that place without being followed by Death. And so it was that Death reluctantly handed over his own Cloak of Invisibility._

_"In due course, the brothers separated, each for his own destination. The first brother travelled for a week or more, and, reaching a distant village, sought out a fellow wizard, with whom he had a quarrel. Naturally with the Elder Wand as his weapon, he could not fail to win the duel that followed. Leaving his enemy dead upon the floor, the oldest brother proceeded to an inn, where he boasted of the powerful wand which he had snatched from Death himself and of how it made him invincible. That very night, another wizard crept upon the oldest brother as he lay wine-sodden upon his bed. The thief took the wand, and, for good measure, slit the oldest brother's throat. And so, Death took the first brother for his own._

_"Meanwhile, the second brother journeyed to his own home, where he lived alone. Here, he took out the stone which had the power to recall the dead, and turned it thrice in his hand. To his amazement and delight, the figure of the girl he had once hoped to marry, before her untimely death, appeared at once before him. Yet she was sad and cold, separated from him as though by a veil. Though she had returned to the mortal world, she did not truly belong there, and suffered. Finally, the second brother, driven mad by hopeless longing, killed himself, so as to truly join her. And so, Death took the second brother for his own._

_"But though Death searched for the third brother for many years, he was never able to find him. It was only when he had attained a great age that the youngest brother finally took of the Cloak of Invisibility, and gave it to his son. And then, he greeted Death as an old friend, went with him gladly, and, as equals, they departed this life." _

Hermione finished with a clap of the book shutting, and turned to Ron.

"Obviously, this is a book of fairy tales. But, I'll do some more research over the summer about this."

Harry broke in. "About the summer, I was planning to stay at Grimmauld place. After all, it is mine legally now. If you want, you two can join me."

Hermione pondered for a few moments, then said: "I'll ask my parents. Does it have a library for studying?"

Harry answered: "I think so. Sirius did mention going to throw out cursed books once, so I assume there is a library somewhere."

Ron said: "I could ask my mum, and I guess she would agree, even though it's just three sixteen year olds staying there."

Harry thought for a moment, then said: "It's a plan, then."

**Things get more action during and after summer.**


End file.
